Memo to IOC: Neither Chicago Nor United States Need The Olympics

Corrupt politics, nonsensical group-think, decisions based on everything but merit.

If the IOC voters didn't want to make their decisions based upon the respective qualities inherent in each city's bid, then a country like America need not waste its time.

Consider this our last bid for a long time.

It just isn't worth it. As a country, we have a lot on our plate. We don't need to waste our time with this circus of a bidding process four years from now... or any time in the near future.

Surely, pundits will spend a bit of time in the next few weeks explaining what exactly went wrong, how a perceived favorite, Chicago, could go out in the first vote.

There will be a lot of explaining to do. Someone will have to explain why Tokyo—a city that has not only hosted the games before, but has demonstrated little enthusiasm or support from its own citizens—could top Chicago's bid.

Someone will have to explain why Madrid made it to the final two, when a European city will host the 2012 Summer games, as well as the 2014 Winter games.

Absurd!

Yes, we all know that Spain—and Spanish-speaking nations in general—have several power-players within the fraternal order of the IOC. But if that is the ultimate manner in which decisions get made, then why bother having a bidding process? Why get people's hopes up?

Consider the speech from Spanish representative, and former IOC kingpin, Juan Antonio Samaranch:

"I am 89 years old. I know I am near the end of my life — Would you do me the honor of allowing my country to organize the Games in 2016?"

What a cheap shot. What an undignified thing to say. Perhaps the people of Chicago should have been told upfront that their bid would be undercut by a self-centered pity plea. President Obama's speech was about Chicago. Clearly, Juan Antonio thinks that this process is about himself.

All that said, many people have talked about the positives encumbant in Rio De Janeiro's bid. They are very qualified. There are a lot of great reasons to pick them.

But this article is about how Chicago came in dead last. How they didn't even come close.

Madrid and Tokyo were objectively less deserving than Chicago, and by insulting the Windy City with a first round elimination, the IOC made an obnoxious statement.

They gave the finger to America, and basically said, "We don't care if you have turned a corner and re-embraced the international community, you're still America, and we still resent you."

F--k them.

Chicago put forth an exceptional bid, President Obama made a bold statement by appearing in Copenhagen along with other world leaders, and the United States genuinely embraced the spirit of global unity.

This country believes in what the Olympics are *supposed* to be about. And Chicago would have welcomed the world with open arms.

Chicago and America did their part.

The world did not do theirs.

People can denounce we Americans as bitter, or as poor sports. Fine. We'll speak with our television remotes when 2016 rolls around.